(BIVN) – Outdoor recreation was the topic of a federal hearing in Washington Tuesday.

Congresswoman Colleen Hanabusa brought Hawaii’s perspective to bear on the House Committee during the Natural Resources’ Federal Lands Subcommittee hearing on HR 3400.

“From the world’s most accessible active volcano on the Big Island, Kiluaea,” Subcommittee on Federal Lands Ranking Member Colleen Hanabusa (D-HI) said, “to the state of the art telescopes on top of Mauna kea and Haleakala, to Pearl Harbor where millions pay respects at the Arizona Memorial and visit the U.S.S. Missouri, outdoor recreational opportunities, which exist in each of our states, enrich our lives and the lives of others in ways we can never forget”

The proposed Recreation Not Red-Tape Act aims to promote innovative approaches to outdoor recreation on Federal land and to open up opportunities for collaboration with non-Federal partners.

“Our federal lands serve as the foundation for all kinds of outdoor economies for each of our states,” Rep. Hanabusa added. “Many small businesses rely on dependable access to federal lands, so it is important that congress identify opportunities to improve visitor services and the overall administration of recreation on federal lands.”

The outdoor recreation industry annually generates 7.6 million American jobs and $887 billion in consumer spending, according to the Outdoor Industry Association. This robust economic engine is also a win for the American taxpayers, resulting in $65.3 billion in federal tax revenue and $59.2 billion at the state and local level. The “RNR Act” includes provisions that modernize and streamline the special recreation permitting process, increase veteran participation and access to outdoor programs and establish a National Recreation Area System, lawmakers say.